Game Set Match
by Virgo Writer
Summary: Brock is 21 and still can't get a date with anyone generally and Suzy in particular, so he asks Misty a favor-to set him up with 1 of her friends in order to prove that he IS Boyfriend Material. She finds the perfect match, but who's setting who up?
1. The Setup

*Note: this chapter contains bashing for almost every girl that Ash ever met who wasn't Misty . . . well not every girl, but a large portion of them.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokémon. I do not own Dracula's (which are totally awesome by the way – I've been twice!). Um, I'm not sure what else I don't own in this yet.

I consider this a twist on a typical fanfic – the one where a guy (or girl) pretends to date someone in order to make another person jealous and in the midst of this finds they have feelings for their pretend date. Hope you like.

_Game-Set-Match_

**I. The Set Up . . .**

"Misty, I need a date," Brock Slate pleaded desperately to one of his closest friends. He looked at her almost longingly, praying she would comply.

"No," Misty Waterflower replied bluntly, her response carefully practiced. Ash Ketchum, who was lazed languidly on the couch near by, scoffed as he briefly looked up from the TV to attend to the interaction.

"Misty it's not what you think . . ." Brock began, but Misty cut him off before he could continue.

"Brock it's exactly what I think," the redhead replied. "I wouldn't even subject you to my worst enemy, let alone one of my friends."

"But it's not like it would be a 'date' date," Brock tried to explain, immediately receiving an incredulous look from the redhead. "It just has to _look _like a date. That way, if other people see me with a girl, they'll think that someone else is interested in me and then - abracadabra presto – I'm eligible.

"Girls always want what they can't have," he finished wisely.

Ash winced for Brock's sake. He could just imagine what Misty had in store for him after a comment like that.

Misty sighed, feeling sorry for her older companion who was now twenty-one years old and completely incapable of nabbing himself a date. "Who is it you're trying to impress this time?" she asked ruefully, glaring at Ash from the corner of her eye. The dark haired teen seemed taken aback by her reaction and logically assumed his girlfriend would get her revenge later.

"Suzy," Brock replied with a sigh of his own. "She says I'm not 'boyfriend material' – like I'm even supposed to know what that means! It's not like I'm psychic," he explained sadly, his shoulders drooping as he thought of his business partner and friend who was constantly rebuking his attempts to take their relationship that little step further.

"I just thought that if she were to see me with someone else in a boyfriend type situation, then she would know she was wrong about me," he said with a weak smile. "I just need someone to pretend that we're on a date with me. I promise I won't even think of it as a real date. I won't even think of her as a girl. I'll even pay for dinner."

"You can take Misty if you like," Ash suggested, generously offering his own girlfriend from the couch. He probably would've considered reprising the role of Ashley for a free meal, but this seemed the safer option. "It'd be easy then because you already don't think of Misty as a girl." This earned him another less-than-playful glare from his girlfriend, making it even clearer that he was in for some serious pain later.

"It wouldn't work," Brock replied. "Everyone already knows that you two are going out."

"Not for much longer," Misty muttered looking at her boyfriend in a very threatening manner.

"Aww c'mon Myst, you know I love ya," the boy replied with a sly grin that warmed her heart. He always knew just what to say to avoid punishment from her mallet, and she really did mean the world to him in ways he couldn't even begin to describe.

"So, Misty? What do you say?" Brock said, bringing them back to original purpose of the conversation.

Misty sighed, shaking her head at herself. She couldn't believe she was agreeing to this, but what choice did she have. Brock was one of her best friends and she owed him. Not to mention the extent of blackmail material he had to laud over her head.

"When do you need her by?" she asked, his displeasure more than evident.

"This Friday," Brock replied. "Suzy is going to this weird restaurant/cabaret thing for one of her friend's hens night. I need someone whose really going to impress given that all her friends will be there too."

"Cabaret? What's the name of the place?" Misty asked, suddenly intrigued and sounding almost enthusiastic.

"Dracula's or something," Brock said absently, not really caring what the place was called or why Misty was interested. "It's supposed to be a 'Haunting Macabre of Comedy, Music and Food'," he added sarcastically as if reading directly from the advertisement.

"You throw in a couple of tickets Brock-o," Misty said enthusiastically, holding out her hand, "and you've got yourself a deal."

Brock smiled, taking her outstretched hand in his own. "It's a date."

* * *

Misty sighed as she tried to determine three important factors. The first was which of her friends would actually be available for dates, that is, single. The second factor was concerned with which of her friends would be willing to date _Brock_ – we shall call these the undiscerning. The third was which of her friends would impress Suzy and her lot when she showed up Dracula's, dragging Brock along like the lovesick puppy he was. It was vitally important the person of choice was able to meet all three of these categories.

Take May and Dawn, for example. The two of them could be impressive date's for Brock to drag along – May for her high rank as a co-ordinator and Dawn on an almost purely looks basis. However, they both failed on criteria two and May also on criteria one. There's no way either girl would even consider dating Brock, especially May who was currently dating either Drew or Brendan (Misty found it impossible to keep up with that girls love life).

She doubted that anybody who had ever spent an extended period of time with Brock would ever consider spending an evening with him in a date type situation. This led her inevitably to her next port of call – who among her girlfriends had Brock never met and therefore never had the opportunity to completely ruin his chances with already?

Casey was an immediate thought – Misty suspected that the misguided baseball fan was just desperate enough to consider Brock a suitable prospect. All that was required was for Misty to tell Casey that one of Brock's siblings trained with her beloved Electabuzz. Brock had so many siblings it could potentially be true.

Of course, Casey failed almost magnificently when it came to criteria three. She wasn't much to look at in the way Dawn could be impressive without actually doing anything. And she wasn't talented in the way May was that made her impressive to deal with, although they could be equally annoying. Casey certainly left an impression on people, but not necessarily in a good way.

Suzy would see right through that one.

The fact that Brock had left them in the Orange Islands for the skirt did open things up to her. She'd made a few good friends on her journey, and a couple of acquaintances that might even consider the prospect of a blind date _fun_.

Melody might have been a good choice if not for the fact that in spite of outward appearances, Misty really and truly did despise the overly friendly musician with every fibre in her being and would rather poke her own eyes out with forks then spend an evening with her. The girls voice was too high. Her eyes were the wrong shade of something. And she always insisted on wearing the most ridiculous low cut tops that could be called into existence.

Misty suspected that Melody felt exactly the same way about Misty as Misty felt about her and that all this was intentional – especially the bit about the low cut tops. She reckoned the Orange Islands native still had her eyes set on Ash and would take every opportunity to one-up Misty around her boyfriend of two years.

While no dud in the looks department and having a unique talent with regards to the shell thing, which Misty had never bothered to discover the name of due to her dislike (thus satisfying criteria three), the girl bombed out in the single and undiscerning categories. Given that she clearly harboured UNREQUITED feelings for MISTY'S BOYFRIEND she was neither in a position that made her available to date Brock, nor made her a willing participant.

The fact that Misty hated the girl with the fire of a million suns barely had to play a part in her decision making here.

But thinking about Melody was handy in its own way, because it led her to Prima. A lot of Suzy's friends were Pokémon trainers, and they were sure to be impressed by a gym leader – especially one that was part of the Orange Crew . . . provided that they had heard of her. For the life of her Misty couldn't remember whether or not Prima was currently single given her rocky relationship with Lance of all people.

There was one further aspect of Prima that might make her a poor choice, that is, certain "assets" of Prima's that would undoubtedly send any man into a similar state to Brock's girl crazy mode. There was no way that Suzy would consider Brock boyfriend material, no matter how impressive Prima's "assets", if she came across him drooling over Prima in a rather unflattering fashion.

But gym leaders were definitely the way to go, Misty had determined, using the logic of Prima as a starting point. The female gym leaders in Kanto especially had a reputation for discerning tastes – they only dated the best. Misty herself fell into that discerning category, what with her boyfriend being the youngest Pokémon Master along with various other impressive titles. Her sisters _only_ dated other gym leaders, bar Daisy who had unfathomably gotten her sights set on a certain Pokémon watcher cum leading researcher cum now famous artist – in spite of her strange preference, Daisy still hadn't diverged from the rule.

But who? That was the question now.

Her sisters were out of the question. Violet was currently dating Lieutenant Surge (which Misty thought was an even stranger combination that Daisy and Tracy) and although Lily was currently single (having recently called it quits with Danny, and Misty still having no idea how the two had even met) it was most unlikely she would agree. Yes, Brock was a gym leader and therefore Lily's type, but Lily had also had the unfortunate providence of meeting Brock on several occasions. Even with the years worth of useful blackmail Misty had stored up, this was not something that Lily – or any of her sisters – would agree to.

Erika was still single, but Misty didn't think it was a particularly good match. Even though she knew this wasn't a real date, she felt inclined to make a good match. Brock and Erika had nothing in common other than the fact that they were both gym leaders.

Erika definitely wasn't Brock's type – years of pulling the boy off anything in a skirt had taught her a thing or two. The first was that it had taught her to perfect her crabby like grip and had given her extra upper body strength. The second was that Brock had a marked preference for older woman. Ivy, Brock's most successful relationship to date, was close to twenty years his senior; where as Suzy, the current object of his affections, was eight years older than Brock (and a helluva lot more mature).

And that's when she knew she had it. A slightly older gym leader (five years Brock's senior) who was pretty, intelligent and fun and even more impressive than most gym leaders you could come across given that she was the also the most powerful human psychic in the known world.

A gym leader who, although having met Brock in the past, was unlikely to recall their initial meeting. Furthermore Brock was so scared shitless at the time (what with being turned into a doll) that it didn't even occur to him to try and persuade her to spend the rest of her life with him.

A gym leader who was almost as terminally single as Brock himself.

She was perfect.

Misty dialed the number for the Saffron Gym with relish, applauding herself for coming to this foregone conclusion. Sabrina was perfect. Not only did Sabrina meet all three of Misty's criteria, she was someone that Misty actually liked (her, Sabrina and Erika had become quite close on her return to Cerulean uniting as the only female gym leaders in Kanto), she was clearly Brock's type, and as the only two gym leaders to show an interest in Pokémon outside of their type that gave them more than enough to talk about.

That of course wasn't the only thing they had in common, but this was only a pretend date meaning Misty was allowed to think about it at a superficial level – although how that differed from her reasons for disregarding Brock and Erika is beyond me.

"Misty," Sabrina said, answering the phone before it had even let out a single ring and identifying the caller without the aid of video screen. Misty didn't think she would ever get used to that – it had to be one of Sabrina's coolest party tricks. The coolest party trick was undoubtedly the ability to make all of the host/hostess' undergarments spontaneously switch places with their outer garments.

Good times. It wasn't a good party unless Sabrina was around to play a few telepathic pranks.

"Forget it Misty," Sabrina said, reading her friends surface thoughts. Sabrina never delved further than that unless it was completely necessary. It was not difficult to shield one's surface thoughts and so Sabrina concluded that leaving your surface thoughts unshielded was just asking for them to be read.

"You could at least give me a moment to prepare myself first," Misty pouted, glaring playfully at her friend. Of course, she had no intention of shielding the thoughts – she didn't think it was fair to subject anybody to Brock without proper warning.

"And that Misty, was mean," Sabrina added. "Isn't Brock one of your best friends or something?"

"Which means I know exactly what he's like," Misty replied quickly. "Once he goes into his girl crazy mode he's actually kind of scary."

"You mean where he starts spurting random pick up lines?" Sabrina asked, her blue eyes seeming to fill with glee as she laughed to herself. "I thought that was the funniest thing. He has a new one every time I see him, and they are so corny I almost die with laughter."

"Wait, what?" Misty asked, her eyes narrowing with confusion. "When did he hit on you? I thought you guys only met the one time."

"He's breeding my Kadabra," the psychic replied, rolling her eyes at Misty. "I visit Kadabra on weekends so we don't lose the link.

"What was the one he said?" she continued, taking a moment to herself to try and recall. "How did it go? Um . . . it was something like . . . 'I think I have amnesia. Do I come here often?' You had to be there."

"How long has this been going on and why was I not informed?" Misty asked indignantly, blinking wide-eyed at her friend.

"I told you I was breeding Kadabra," Sabrina said. She sensed Misty's thoughts and continued. "He's the top breeder in Kanto, who else would I take my Pokémon to?"

"I guess it never occurred to me," Misty said finally, still frowning. "I always just think of him as Brock, you know? I like, grew up with him and it's hard to see him sometimes as this uber successful business type breeder person."

Sabrina shook her head at her, looking like a mother scolding a naughty child. "You don't give him enough credit," she said, a playful look in her eyes.

Misty looked hopeful for a moment, but Sabrina quickly cut her off before she could finish formulating that thought. "I'm still not doing it," Sabrina said. "Not because it's Brock, but because it's cruel to try and manipulate someone into liking you by using another person."

"But you're the most perfect person for it," the redhead whined. "Especially now that I know Brock's breeding your Pokémon. Because you guys have been hanging out at the breeding centre, it'll look like an actual date."

Sabrina blushed as she tried to find the words to protest. Misty's eyes widened upon seeing this and she immediately shielded her thoughts, even going so far as to shield the fact that she was shielding her thoughts so Sabrina wouldn't pick up on it.

Clearly the psychic was refusing on the grounds Misty assumed, but for completely different reasons.

Misty was surprised by what she had just discovered. Her serious, intelligent and mature friend had a thing for her goofy, girl-crazy best friend. In fact, now that she thought about it, it made complete sense that Sabrina could be the only person who could fall for Brock – she was so serious herself that she hardly took anything seriously, including a desperate plea from Brock that he marry her on the spot or die trying.

And once you got past that, Brock wasn't so bad.

Misty briefly recalled sleeping over at Sabrina's gym with her and Erika, and playing all the stupid kids games you play at sleepovers. There had been a round of truth or dare and upon choosing 'truth' (because Sabrina was able to make calculated choices and avoid all the worst dares) was asked to describe her perfect guy – he was tall, dark and handsome; funny; a good cook; great with kids and Pokémon; and a hard worker. In light of her newfound knowledge, Misty was not surprised to find that the description fitted Brock perfectly.

She could not believe that Brock Slate was Sabrina LaFay's perfect man.

So Misty quickly formulated a plan.

"It's not really about making her jealous," Misty explained. "It's not even showing her what she's missing."

"Oh sure," the psychic replied, rolling her eyes once again.

"'Really," Misty continued. "Suzy reckons he's not 'boyfriend material," Misty explained, rolling her own eyes at the expression. She knew it was a ridiculous excuse. Ash certainly wasn't what anybody would call 'boyfriend material' by a long stretch, but they were able to make do somehow. She guessed they sort of complemented each other and that's what was important.

Sabrina did not look convinced, even as Misty's thoughts on Suzy seemed to bubble to the surface. Feeling quite protective of Brock even though she viewed him as an older brother or sorts, Misty had grown quite suspicious of Suzy ever since they had gotten into business together. She felt as though Suzy had Brock doing all the work, while she took all the glory, and he wouldn't do a thing about it because he would do whatever the pretty girl told him.

She reckoned that was why Suzy always had a handy excuse for turning him down rather than outright telling him that she wasn't interested. Suzy was probably worried her power over Brock would not hold if she was to make it clear what his chances were.

"It's just about showing her that she was wrong about him," Misty said with a sad smile. "And I kind of want if for him too. I know even I've been guilty of thinking of Brock as too much of a goofball for someone to think of him romantically, but Suzy took it too far with that comment."

Sabrina sighed. Misty had her with that one and they both knew it. Compassion and sympathy was a bitch, and sometimes she wished that her emotions were still locked in that doll so that she could avoid being led by them.

"Ok," she said ruefully. "I'll make the arrangements."

Misty smiled. "We're all going to Dracula's on Friday so it won't be so bad," Misty said happily. "Ash and I will be there, and I know you've been dying to see it for ages. It's all I've heard you talk about since it opened and now you've finally got someone to go with."

"Yeah, yeah, Misty," Sabrina said blandly, her eyes narrowing. "Stop gloating before I go delve a little deeper, alright?"

The redhead was silenced. Sabrina was always serious about her threats, and her threats were always serious. She smiled sheepishly as she said farewell to her friend and made some intricate plans of her own.

~ to be continued ~

Only two parts to this one - it's short a sweet. My favourite line in the whole thing is that one about Dawn, that she could be impressive without actually doing anything. Sorry if I've offended your favourite characters in Misty's speal there, but Misty doesn't play well with others and is brutally honest in some ways. I hold no ill-will towards the Misty-clones (in spite of the fact that I refer to them as Misty-clones) I just find them handy targets every now and then and Casey was so asking for it.

Please review. Parts of this story were inspired by a deleted scene of Doctor Who (Tenth doctor 1st season) which might give a hint or two towards the twist. I feel quite pleased with myself for even thinking of it.


	2. And The Twist serve

I decided I better put this one up before I edit it to death. I keep wanting add more to it because I think at times it seems a bit one-sided, but I think it's almost perfect now.

Quick word or two: "Erika definitely wasn't Brock's type – years of pulling the boy off anything in a skirt had taught her a thing or two" bit meant that Misty knew what Brock's type was because of all the time spent pulling him off girl, was a bit ambiguous there. The bit about Sabrina being perfect for Brock is actually one of two theories I have about that - the first theory is the fact that Sabrina is the only one who could fall for Brock cos I honestly believe that she would think he was making a joke and probably even like that about him given her friendship with Haunter; the second theory is that Brock will either marry young or not at all, although that's probably a subject for a whole other fic.

And I didn't to make May sound a tad slutty - I was just trying to avoid alienating anybodies ship with that one as those two seemed to be the most popular two but I can see how it sounds that way, especially when paired with what was said about Dawn (I just read an AAML where Dawn tried to break them up for no good reason so I'm kind of annoyed at her, at least May only tries to steal Ash before they get together). The deleted scene which gave me the idea comes from The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit - it's the rock paper scissor scene, but this probably won't make sense til the end. And I can't claim Dracula's - it's a very cool vampire themed cabaret in Australia and it's an incredible show and incredible food. Although I used the basic idea, I made most of the insides up because I didn't really want to give any of the place away.

And yes, I so totally could not help myself with the Ash and Misty-ness - I find it somewhat strange to have myself writing Ash and Misty having a normal relationship without some sort of farfetched drama.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon. I don't own Dracula's. I don't own Doctor Who. I don't own Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (did anyone catch the reference in the last chapter? There's one in this one two, although it's far less subtle. The first is related to the infinite probability drive). Don't own any of the drinks mentioned. I think that covers it.

_Game-Set-Match_

**II. . . . And the Twist (serve)**

Brock was nervous as he waited outside the front entrance of Dracula's for his two friends and Misty's friend to join them. He had already seen Suzy and her friends go in, and he knew they would have to get in there soon if they wanted to make a proper show of things.

He spotted Ash and Misty walking towards him. Misty had clearly taken the initiative to dress her boyfriend, putting him in a pair of black dress pants and a semi-casual dark blue polo with sports-jacket overtop. The two matched perfectly with Misty wearing a calf length, v-neck dress made of royal blue satin with black lace over top giving it a 1920's look.

He smiled to himself upon seeing them. He remembered what a shrimp Ash had been when they first met, but now at seventeen he towered above his eighteen year old girlfriend by a good three inches, even when she was in heals.

Briefly wondering if he had overdressed, Brock considered his own outfit. Given the 'macabre' theme of the joint, he thought only reasonable to dress in dark colours and he suspected that Ash and Misty (well just Misty really) had similar thoughts. He was in a black dress pants, like Ash, but with a long sleeved black dress shirt with purple pinstripes and a leather jacket over top.

He suddenly felt even more nervous as Ash and Misty approached them. Where was the final member of their party, he wondered to him self. He hoped that Misty had invited her, or else this would all be in vain – his carefully laid plans all gone to waste

"Who'd you find for my date?" Brock asked Misty as the pair got within hearing distance.

"Sabrina LaFay," Misty replied simply. She watched him curiously as he seemed to almost relax at the mention of the Saffron gym leaders name and smile serenely to himself. "Why didn't you tell me you two were hanging out at the breeding centre?" she asked, hitting him for affect. "It's been like six months!"

"What was that for?" Brock asked, rubbing his arm. "I didn't realize I had to inform you of every client that walked through the doors."

"Not _every_ client," she told him, hitting him again for good measure.

"Just the one's she might know, right?" another voice cut in, finishing Misty's sentiment for her. They all turned in the direction of the voice, welcoming the latest member of the group.

Brock smiled widely as he saw her, immediately shielding his thoughts from the psychic. She looked lovely, dressed in a knee-length, empire cut red dress and a pair of black pumps that made her legs look endless. On second thoughts, Brock decided to let that one slip, suspecting the psychic might appreciate the compliment.

Sabrina's cheeks turned faintly red as the thought was conveyed to her, and tugged self-consciously at the hem of her skirt.

_'You look perfect,'_ Brock thought, which made her blush even darker. By the time Misty's snigger reached her ears, she was almost the same colour as her dress.

"Shall we go in?" Brock suggested, offering his arm to his 'date'.

Sabrina nodded shyly, linking her arm through his. She ran her free hand nervously through her jade locks, which hung loosely down to her waist as they headed to the door.

"You know you don't have to shield your thoughts," she said quietly as they waited for the door to open. "Misty told me everything."

Brock chuckled lightly. "You can't hide anything from a psychic," he laughed, "but those aren't the thoughts I'm shielding."

She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, her blue eyes widening with curiosity. _'Did he just . . .'_ she began to think to herself, but trailed off deciding the thought was too impossible. _'He couldn't have . . . it's not real.'_

"I've got a new one for you," he whispered quietly, close to her ear. She felt her skin tingle with pleasure as she felt his breath against her cheek and a fresh blush rising in her face.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"7:35," she replied, not sure if this was a part of the pick up line, or if he was just curious.

"So that makes it was approximately 7:35pm on the 4th of April 2009," he continued, his lips still unnervingly close to her cheek. "I just wanted to make sure that I remembered the exact moment I fell for you."

Sabrina frowned. This didn't make sense at all. It wasn't funny like the other ones, in fact, it was sweet and romantic and made her heart race from how near he seemed to get in order to deliver it. She wondered if maybe it was part of the act in order to show Suzy that he could be a boyfriend, but it didn't make sense him putting on the moves, when Suzy wasn't around to see it.

"Practice," he said quietly, almost as though he was answering her question. Sabrina shook it off, assuming she had misheard.

The door suddenly opened of its own fruition causing Sabrina to forget about all her previous thoughts. The four of them walked forward into a room only have the door slam shut behind them.

_"Your coats,"_ a voice hissed. Several hands reached out from the wall, clawing at the foursome. The boys removed their jackets and handed them to the nearest outstretched hand.

_"42,"_ the voice said simply. _"Continue."_

They walked up the stairs, which opened up into a large space with a bar at the far end.

"Are you guys all old enough to get sucked?" a pretty burnet vampire asked as they reached the top of the stairs. Brock, Sabrina and Misty all flashed their IDs indicating they were of the legal drinking age (18) and earning themselves a wristband, while Ash sulked. Sabrina felt flattered that at twenty-six she still got carded every now and again.

"Awww," Misty teased, ruffling her boyfriends hair, even though it was more than likely that she had spent a good half an hour getting it just right before they left, "no drinkies for poor wittle Ashy-washy."

Ash was surprisingly quick off the mark. "Looks like you won't be able to take advantage of me after all, Myst," he replied with a teasing smile that made her flush. It was unclear whether this was out of anger or embarrassment.

"She's looking this way," Brock said quickly, leaning over to Sabrina and gently pressing his lips to the corner of her mouth. "What would you like to drink?" he asked as he pulled away, quickly glancing in the opposite direction.

"Ah . . . um . . . whatever," she said nervously, trying her best to look nonchalant as she pushed her jade locks behind her ear. Her heart was racing almost beyond her control and she suddenly felt as though she was floating on air.

He nodded, smiling at her even though his face looked serious. "C'mon Ash," he said, his smile widening at the younger boy, "I'll get you a Shirley Temple. Lemon Mystique, Misty?"

Misty nodded absentmindedly, thinking to herself aloud. "But she wasn't . . ." She trailed off as things suddenly began to add. _'That snake. That rotten manipulative snake,'_ she thought to herself, glaring at him as he walked away.

"What did Ash do now?" Sabrina asked jokingly, shaking her head at Misty.

"Ah . . . um . . . nothing," Misty stuttered, shielding her thoughts before Sabrina could latch on to them. As much as she was mad at him for manipulating her, she had to admit that it was a genius move, and that the best alternative right now was to simply let things run their course.

Sabrina just nodded understandingly, her eyes trained on the same boy. _'Just an inch to the left,'_ she thought longingly to herself. It was all she was asking for.

The boys quickly returned with the drinks. Brock had clearly taken pity on Ashy-washy and bought him a light beer which he held in his right hand, with Misty's vibrant yellow and green drink in the other. Brock carried an orange coloured cocktail in one hand, while in the other he carried what looked like a whisky dry.

He handed the drink off to Sabrina with a soft smile that made her stomach flip. "It's a Zombie – I thought you might like something a bit ghoulish for tonight," he explained. With one of his arms now free, he quickly wrapped his right arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head. He briefly buried his face in her hair, engulfed by her scent – she was sweet like citrus and honey.

Sabrina could not help but think how wonderful it was that he was taller than her. He made her feel small in the most wonderful way – like he was some sort of protector and she would always be safe in his arms. She was starting to feel lightheaded from his proximity.

Warmth seemed to radiate from where their bodies touched, and Sabrina felt herself leaning further towards him without thinking, lightly leaning her head against his chest. She could have stayed like that forever. For a moment she could have sworn she could hear his heart racing almost as quickly as her own.

"C'mon guys," Brock suggested, giving her a light squeeze which did not seem completely necessary in order to pull off the charade. His voice seemed slightly strangled at first, but then he let out a cough that reverted it back to normal. "Let's go check out the ghost train, we can bring our drinks with us to the main floor."

(A/N: You cannot bring your drinks onto the ghost train, but Zombies are pretty darn potent (equivalent of 7 standard drinks or something) so I really don't want her downing that one too quickly. It's the sort of drink you should be nursing if you want to keep your wits about you)

The four of them seated themselves in the carriage – Ash and Misty in the front and Brock and Sabrina in the back. Even in the privacy of the ghost train, Brock's hand remained comfortably situated upon her waist as though that were the most natural place for it to be. Brock couldn't deny how right it felt to have her in his arms. It was everything he could have wished for their evening.

The ghost train was pretty uneventful aside from the bit where several spinerak dropped down from the ceiling. Neither girl being particularly fond of bug Pokémon, and not expecting their sudden appearance, jumped into the arms of the respective partners who shared a sly smile, almost as if they had planned it all along.

Suzy was already seated when they entered the main theatre and as luck would have it, the foursome had been seated in their line of sight. Brock and Sabrina's hands were still entwined from Brock helping her out of the ghost train, and as they were brought to their table, he surreptitiously brought her hand to his lips – surreptitious only because if Sabrina had cared to notice, it was one of the few moments when there wasn't a single person attending to their presence.

She blushed as Brock pulled out her chair for her. His hands brushed against her shoulders as he pushed in the chair and she felt that same tingle rush through her body as she had when she felt his breath against the side of her face. She could hardly believe the effect that his mere touch was having on her.

Brock ordered another whisky dry as they mulled over the menus. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought it was Dutch courage, but she couldn't think what reason he would have to be nervous. As far as she could tell, his plan was going perfectly.

He was playing the part of the perfect boyfriend and it took everything in Sabrina's power not to fall. He was charming and courteous; making sure everything was to her liking and doing everything in his power to please her. He was personable and spoke knowledgably on a wide variety of topics from politics to sports and to Pokémon, which were his obvious passion. He was handsome with tanned skin, spiky brown hair and a muscular frame.

Sabrina wondered how Suzy was able to write off Brock's 'boyfriend potential' so easily. Why if she were in her shoes . . .

"Would you like me to read her thoughts?" Sabrina asked shoving her own thoughts to the side so she could concentrate on Brock. She hoped that maybe she could reassure him by revealing whether or not Suzy was convinced by their act.

Brock shook his head and smiled down on her. His eyes were light, and there was a certain fondness in his smile that put her at ease. "I don't care what she's thinking," he said honestly, his voice almost wistful, as though there were some other thought that he wasn't sharing right then. "Just enjoy the show Sabrina. I know you've been dying to see this show for months now."

She nodded mutely, turning her head to the stage as the lights dimmed. She almost stiffened as she felt his arm go around her shoulders, but quickly decided to relax into his touch.

_'There's only one perfect girl in the world for me,'_ he thought secretly to himself. _'The only woman who could have my heart.'_

"I hope you enjoy it Sabrina," he whispered softly, leaning close again so he could speak in her ear. Brock was starting to like the way she seemed to almost tremble under his touch; it made his own skin almost tingle with pleasure. He longed to get closer but for now he would be patient.

He knew it would all be worth it in the end. He knew she was worth it

The show was incredible, filled with laughter, music and energy just as promised. The food was superb. The dessert was delectable (especially in the opinion of a certain redhead who managed to steal half her partners dessert as well as obliterate her own).

And the company was to die for.

"That was unbelievable! Amazing! Incredible!" Misty gushed, searching for appropriate synonyms, her face still aching from laughing so much.

Sabrina and Brock nodded, their own smiles wide and brilliant.

"Are you guys going to stay for the dance?" Brock asked, indicating to Ash and Misty.

Ash nodded. "You think I can drag her away from a party," he suggested jokingly, to which he received a jab from his girlfriend.

"What about you Sabrina?" he asked, turning to his 'date'.

Sabrina shrugged. "That drink is making me a bit sleepy. I might just head back now," she suggested with weak smile.

"Do you mind if I walk you back to your hotel?" Brock asked, smiling hopefully. She nodded slowly. Once more he offered her his arm, and Sabrina linked her own with his as they waved goodbye to Ash and Misty and were on their way.

Sabrina shivered as they hit the night air. She had forgotten that it would be cold once they left, but then it had always been her intention to simply teleport herself back to the hotel room thus removing the need for an extra layer of clothing.

She felt something warm being laid upon her shoulders and smiled up at Brock as he placed his jacket around her. She looked at him curiously.

"What are you hiding?" she asked him, tiling her head as she glanced at him.

He smiled in return. "Something big, but you can't find out just yet," he replied as he wrapped an arm around her and guiding her forwards.

"How about we make a deal?" Sabrina suggested, her blue eyes shining mischievously. "I won't try to read your mind, if you stop trying to check out my arse in this dress."

Brock chuckled at the thought. "No deal," he replied with a smile, as his dark eyes seem to light up with the same mischievous glint. He feigned going in for a 'perv', which made her laugh. He suspected that laugh was one of the first things that attracted him to her.

For a long while, the two of them seemed to walk together in a comfortable silence, until suddenly Brock let her go and stepped in front of her.

He seemed nervous all of sudden, which Sabrina couldn't account for at all. He took a deep breath and then a step forward so they were standing merely inches apart. He took her hands in his own and stared into her face, his whole demeanour one of sincerity.

"Sabrina, can I be perfectly honest with you about something?" Brock asked, his voice low as he inched further forward, bringing his face closer to hers.

Sabrina nodded mutely, unable to tear herself away from his eyes or find her voice to speak.

"I knew that Misty would pick you," he said in a whisper, his lips right next to her ear now. She could feel his breath on her cheek and it was distracting, intoxicating even. The mixture of alcohol and his nearness made it impossible for to think or probe his mind for what he was trying to say.

She felt his lips suddenly connect with the skin beneath her ear lobe and trail down her neck with slow care. She had to bite her lip to suppress a moan.

The thoughts he had been shielding all evening rose to the surface. In fact, it was more than that; he was sending them to her. Telling her the intricate details while his lips were otherwise occupied driving her crazy.

_'I knew if I asked Misty to set me up with someone, that she would choose you,'_ he thought. _'I made sure of it.'_

He revealed the cues he had embedded within his own dialogue when he first made his proposition to Misty. Sabrina's name had been suggested to the redhead long before she had even began considering who would be suitable for their arrangement. He knew that Misty's logic would inevitably lead her to Sabrina, but he had thrown in a few key words in just in case.

He revealed his own obliviousness to Suzy's position the whole evening. He had been incapable of thinking of anything else, particularly with her in that dress and with those legs. She was intoxicating.

He revealed his own nervousness – how every touch had been planned and controlled; how every touch had sent his heart racing in a way that he hadn't ever expected.

And one word hung in her mind, sent from his to hers: _LOVE._

He suddenly halted his trail of kisses, pulling back so that he could look her in the eye. His hand reached up to touch her face, cupping her cheek in his hand like she was the most beautiful and delicate creature he had ever encountered.

"Love?" she questioned, her eyes glimmering with tears.

"Love," Brock replied with certainty.

"I've fallen in love with you Sabrina," he admitted, caressing her cheek. "I would spend the whole week looking forward to the weekend just so I could tell you some corny pick-up line and make you smile, only to dream about that smile for nights on end. You're the only woman I've ever loved; that I could ever love."

Tears glistened in her eyes and her lips curved into a sweet smile. "I love you too, Brock," she told him, smiling still even as tears trailed down her cheek. "I'm in love with you."

He smiled again, leaning in once again, but stopping just shy of her lips. "Now just an inch to the left," he whispered into her lips before closing that final few millimetres of space that had lay between them. Arms wound tightly around one another as lips met passionately in between. Emotions rushed between them and nothing more was needed to be said.

"But . . . how did you know?" she asked as they broke a part.

He shrugged in response, pulling her further into his embrace. "When you spend a lot of time with a psychic Pokémon, you pick up a few things," he replied, referring of course to her Kadabra. "You know for someone who considers surface thoughts free game, you don't do a particularly good job of concealing your own."

She blushed and smiled at the same time as she looked lovingly into his eyes. "What am I thinking right now?" Sabrina asked him, her blue eyes staring into his coal.

"I'll show you," he replied, joining their lips once more in a kiss filled with even more passion than the first.

And that was it . . . game, set and match.

END

So this is the part where you all go back to the first chapter and notice that Brock slipped three Sabrina related terms into his interaction with Misty in order to suggest Sabrina as the ideal match – abracadabra, psychic and Haunt(er). You'll notice the last one didn't even make sense in the context it was used because 'Macabre' is not a noun. There was even a hint at the end of Misty's decision making process when she refers to Sabrina as a 'foregone conclusion', that is, it was _predetermined_.

If anybody spotted any more hints in the last chapter, let me know because those were totally unintentional, but I will totally still take credit for them.

Thanks for the reviews. I do have one very short chapter to add to this, just because I think there is one small thing that I left unresolved that didn't fit into this chapter. I hope the twist there was unexpected - after I had written the first part I wanted to somehow get away from the cliche boys uses girl to make other girl jealous and in the midst the pair pretending to be dating fall in love (although usually one of them is already in love). Let me know what you think.


	3. Return

Just a wee little epilogue type bit because there is that one question that needs answered.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon, or answering machines.

If anybody spotted any more hints in the last chapter, let me know because those were totally unintentional, but I will totally still take credit for them.

_Game - Set - Match_

**III. Return**

_"Hey, it's Sabrina. Just think about what you want to say and I'll get back to you."_

**_"Message received at 7:32 am"_**

_"Hey Sabrina, it's Misty. Just calling to see how things are going. Give me a call or something." BEEP_

**_"Message received at 7:46 am"_**

_"Hey I just remembered the other reason I called. Ash and I are hanging out at the Pokémon Centre and Brock was supposed to meet us here at 7 and he's not picking up his phone or anything. I was hoping that you might know where he is or something. [pause] By the way, it's Misty in case you were wondering." BEEP_

**_"Message received at 8:27 am"_**

_"Hey Sabrina it's Ash. Well . . . uh . . . I think Misty really wanted to call you again herself but she didn't want to look like a stalker . . . ow Misty, that actually hurt that time. Anyway, if you see him call us . . . and if he's there I just want to say 'Brock you dog!' . . . Ahh! Misty NOOOOO . . ." BEEP_

**_"Message received at 9:58 am"_**

_"Brock Slate! I know you're there you bastard and I know what you did! And if you think you're going to get away with manipulating me like that then you've got another thing coming. I swear I am going to make you hurt in places you didn't even realize you could hurt! I will take your neck and I will . . ." BEEP_

"Do you think I should give them a call?" Brock asked sleepily, pulling the woman beside him closer to his side. He smiled to himself as he kissed her neck, making it clear to both of them that he never intended to let her go ever again.

Sabrina smiled up at him as she checked the clock beside them. It was ten o'clock now. "How about we let her sweat for an hour more?" she asked, looking lovingly into his eyes.

He nodded in agreement. "What are you thinking?" he asked as he watched her eyes cloud over in confusion.

She sighed softly before speaking. "I still don't get why you did things the way you did," she explained, feeling a little guilty for asking. "Why didn't you just ask me out?"

He looked sheepish as he replied, his fingers gently weaving through her hair absentmindedly. "I wish I could tell you that it was all to make things that much more romantic, but really I was just scared," he confessed. "You're the only person I've ever felt this way for and that in itself is daunting without the woman you love being a psychic to boot.

"I've been rejected by every kind of woman you could possibly imagine," he continued. "I just wanted to be sure before I offered my heart."

"So when were you sure?" Sabrina asked. She gently stroked his face reassuringly, the stubble coming through scratching the tips of her fingers.

"When I kissed you at the bar and you said your only wish was for me to kiss you on the lips. I felt exactly the same," he admitted, looking even more sheepish than before. "I swear I don't make a habit of trying to read people's thoughts, mostly because it takes all my concentration to get anything, but I considered last night to be out of necessity. I just needed to know if you could feel even smallest fraction of what I did."

She smiled as she kissed the corner of his mouth, returning his gesture from the night before. "I feel exactly the same," she told him, pulling back so she could look him in the eye. His whole face seemed to reflect her own happiness.

"Now with that said," he said as a wicked smile pulled it's way onto his lips, "what on earth shall we do to occupy ourselves for an hour?" he asked, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

Sabrina looked thoughtful, biting her lip to suppress her own smile. Before she had the chance to answer, he pounced on her, trailing her fingers along her sides.

"Tickle fight!" Brock called as she was overcome with laughter. This went on for a good ten minutes, before both collapsed back down on the bed in exhaustion.

Curling into his chest, Sabrina felt an irrepressible smile form on her face. This was it. This was happiness. This was bliss. This is the only place she wanted to be for the rest of her life.

"I love you," he whispered into her hair, gently kissing the top of her head. "If I could spend the rest of my life holding you, I'd die the happiest man in the world," he added in reply to her thoughts.

She nodded, making herself more comfortable. Instead of replying, she just let her thoughts go, letting them flow towards him, knowing they would encapsulate her feelings better than any words she could possibly formulate.

He smiled, returning the gesture with his own stream of thoughts and emotions that mirrored her own so closely in both their content and intensity.

This was heaven.

This was bliss.

This was home.

**_"Message received 10:21 am"_**

_"Hey Sabrina it's Misty. Can you just delete that last message and never talk about it? Really sorry about that, although if Brock's still around you could let him know that I wasn't kidding about the part where I said he'd never have children by the time I'm done with him. Never mind . . ." BEEP_


End file.
